Apparatus for transmitting impulses of current in electric circuits.



C. L. GOODRUM -& B. G. DUNHAM. APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING IMPULSES OF CURRENT IN ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 4. I906.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Eluvgntom CHARLES LANE GOODRUIVI AND BERT G. DUN HAIVI, OF ROCHESTER, NEW/E'ORK, ASSIGN- ORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING IMPULSES OF CURRENT IN ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3 i f't.

Application filedSeptember 4, 1906. Serial No. 333,050.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHAS.- L. GoouaUM and BERT G. DUNHAM, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Transmitting Impulses of Current in Electric Circuits; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

Our present invention relates to transmitters employed for sending an interrupted flow of current over an electric circuit, either by opening a closed circuit or closing an open circuit, for despatching signals in con nection with such devices as those employed in connection with fire alarm, telegraph and automatic telephone or other systems in further object to provide a novel arrangement of the various parts of the apparatus whereby they may be readily assembled in small compass within a suitable casing adapted to be secured to a suitable support by interior-1y;located fastening devices. To these and other ends the invention consists in, certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described," the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention, showing the face of the operating dial.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2* 2* of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the casing with the dial removed.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the front plate of the casing. V

F i 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2. L

Fig. 7 is a similar view on'the line 7 7 of Fig. :2.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the detachable handle piece.

Similar reference numerals of the several figures indicate similar parts.

In illustrating the preferred construction of an apparatus embodying our invention, we have shown it arranged within a cylindrical body or shell 1, open at its ends and having at its rear edges a plurality ofinwardly-extending ears 2, each provided with two apertures 3 and i, one of which is adapted to receive a screw or other securing device by means of which the apparatus may be attached to a suitable support, the other aperture being threadedto receive the pin or screw 5 having at its outer end a head engaging the front plate 6 of the casing, arranged within the body or shell 1, which is held in the desired position relatively to the ears 2 by tubular spacing members T surrounding said pins. Cooperating with the front plate 6 is aback plate-S, secured thereto by screws or other fastening devices 9, journaled in which is a central shaft 10, having its forward end projecting beyond'the front plate, and carrying an op} erating member in the form of a tlislrll, removably attached thereto by a screw. 12

anda washer 13. In rear of the front plate 6 the shaft is provided with a stop collar 1%.

having an extension or shoulder 15 which is located relatively to the dial, as will be further explained, and held by set screws means for rotating the shaft to return it to its normal position after it has been set or actuated by a movement of the dial.

The circuit controlling or switching mem bers are preferably connected to an inwardlyextending lug 19 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3) formed on the back plate 8 by means of screws 20. These members are insulated from each other, as shown, and one of them indicated by 21, is made of com aratively stiff material, while the other, indicated by 22, is capable of moving relatively thereto and is provided with an inwardly-extending end 23, extending radially of the shaft 10. In the present instance these members are shown as being normally in contact and designed to transmit impulses over a closed circuit by breaking the latter, although it will be understood that they may be arranged to control an open circuit and tatransmit impulses thereover by closing it.

in order to facilitate the desired adjustment of the contact members, a small set screw 24 is provided in an inwardly-extending ear or lug 25, on the back plate 8, which projects through an aperture in the spring 22 and engages the member 21 to move it relatively to its coiiperating member.

The device controlling the contact members comprises a wheel or disk 26, loosely journaled upon the shaft 10 having upon its circumference teeth or notches 26 which 00- operate with the end 23 of the member 22 to depress the latter to move it out of contact with the member 21, so that an impulse will be transmitted over the circuit in which these members are arranged each time the controlling device is advanced. one tooth.

Arranged on the shaft 10 adjacent the controlling device 26 is a collar 27, adjustably secured by a set screw 28" and" provided at one side with an arm 29 carrying a piqoted spring'operated pawl 30, which cooperates with the teeth of" the controlling member 26 to rotate it in one direction,

By this arrangement of the parts it will be seen that as the shaft is rotated in one direction a predetermined distance by the dial 11 it will, when released, be returned the spring 18 and that the pawl 30 advances the controlling member 26 a partial revolution equal to the distance through Y which the dial is revolved. In order to conveniently operate the latter, so that the desired number of impulses may be transmitted by the operation of the circuit/makingand breaking members, the dial is provided upon its face with a plurality of cir- -cumferentially-arranged apertures, which are spaced equidistantly and for convenience are staggered and numbered consecutively. Mounted upon the front plate 6 is an outwardly-extending stop 31 having its end arranged adjacent to the proximate side of the dial, which is designed to engage the ing device, in the form of a spring latch ha ving a shoulder 32 arranged in omgoaition to the stop '31, which also cooperates with the handle piece to secure the dial in opera tive position, until the handle piece has been withdrawn by a lateral movement." The stop 31 and the locking device 32 are arranged relatively to the stop 17, so that when the handle piece is inserted in any one of the apertures and the dial rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, it. will be arrested by the coilperative engagement or the handle piece and locking device so that when the dial is released and the controlling member 26 is operated by Cooperating with the stop 31 is a incl-I:

will be opened and closed a number of times corresponding to the angular distance through which the dial was rotated as indicated by the numeral adjacent the aperture in which the handle piece was inserted. The shaft in its retrograde movement is arrested by the shoulder 15 engaging the stop 17.

In order to control the speed of the shaft 10 after the dial has been set and released a governing mechanism is employed, which is connected to the controlling device during its operation, to cause the engagement and disengagement of the contact members to occur at regular intervals. This mechanism comprises. a gear wheel 33 journaled on the shaft 10 which meshes with gear teeth formed in a pinion arbor 34, ournaled at its ends in the front and back plates 6 and 8, and carrying a fly wheel 35 comprising parts which are movable outwardly against the tension of springs 86, by the centrifugal force imparted to the arbor. The gear wheel 33 is rvoluble freely on the shaft 10, and it is operated to bring the governing mechanism into play during the rotation of the controlling device 26 by means of a spring operated pawl 37, journaled on the arm 29.

An apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention comprises few arts which may be easily assembled and their arrangemcnt, whereby a single impulse or a group or groups of impulses may be despatched over an electric circuit, adapts the dwice for use in connection with automatic telephone systems where it may be employed for sending calls from subscribers stations.

We claim as our invention.

1. In an impulse transmitter, the combination with circuit contacts, a revoluble shaft, means for normally operating itjn one direction, a setting dial, a handle piece engaging therewith and movable laterally ed to cooperate with said handle to limit the rotary movement of the shaft in the other direction, a controlling device journaled on the shaft andcooperating with the circuit contacts, and means for imparting the r0- tary movement of the shaft to the controlling device when said shaft is released by the: disengagement of the handle from the locking device.

2. In an impulse transmitter, the combination with circuit making and breaking members and'a controlling device cooperating therewith, of an oscillatory dial, a handle, piece cooperating therewith and movable laterally relatively thereto, locking devices cooperating with said handle to limit the movement of the dial in one direction and secure it against retrograde movement, means for rotating the dial in the opposite direction when the handle is unlocked, and

connections between the dial and controllingdevice for operating the latter during the movement. of the dial in one direction.

3Q lin an impulse transmitter, the combination with circuit making and breaking members and a controlling device cooperating therewith, of a' revoluble dial provided with a plurality of apertures, a removable. handle piece fitting saidapertures, a ,-relatively stationary stop and latch cooperating with the handle for limiting the movement of the dial and lockin it in operated. position, means for rotatlng the dial when the handle piece is released from the latch and pawl, and ratchet devices actuated by the dial. for operating the controlling device during/the return'movement of the-diaL; c-

4;In an impulse transmitter, the combination with the supporting frame, a shaft .journaled'i therein, a gear wheel and a disk having projections thereon both journaled on the shaft, a governor operated by the gear wheel, an operating dial .secured to said shaft adapted to be rotated "manually ,in one direction, a spring for returning said dial to its normal position, an arm mounted on said shaft, a pair of pawls carried thereon and cooperating with the gear vwheel and disk, and spring contact members one of which is operated by the disk.

5. In an impulse transmitter, the combination with circuit making and breaking .members, mechanism for operating them, a

dial for actuating said mechanism havinga plurality of apertures arranged circumferentially in its face, and a removable handle piece adapted to project through one or another of said apertures, of a casing, a stop.

thereon cooperating with said handle piece to limit the movement of the dial in one direction, and a locking device adapted to en-' and holding the same against backward rotation.

7. In a telephone systelm a subscribers calling mechanism for an automatic system comprising a dial rotatable in a for ward and back manner, a spring for returning the dial to normal'position, an impulse wheel rotatable only in one direction, means by which the impulse wheel is rotated by the backward or return rotation of the dial under the propelling power of said spring, a spring switch operated by the impulse wheel,-said spring switch normally engaging the impulse wheel to hold the same against backward rotation, and a stop f or variably limiting the rotation ofsaid dial in accordance with thedigits of the called number.

CHARLES DANE GOODRUM. I BERT DUNHAM. Witnesses:

ELEANOR BASSETT, HORATIO STRA'Us. 

